When Mary Barra faced a massive recall crisis as General Motors' new CEO, she implored employees to never forget the errors of GM's past. Now Barra is trying to position GM to lead the industry in a future of electric vehicles, car sharing and self-driving technology.

Nearly three years into her tenure as CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra has instilled a level of discipline within GM's sales organization not seen in Detroit for decades, and she vows the company won't backslide even as U.S. demand peaks.